Karnataka Suspends IPS Officer Over Office Videos

The Karnataka government suspended senior Indian Police Service officer K. Ramachandra Rao, the Director General of Police for Civil Rights Enforcement, on Monday amid a controversy sparked by videos circulating online that appear to show him engaging in inappropriate physical interactions with women inside his official office.

The footage, which surfaced over the weekend and quickly spread across social media and news platforms, depicts Rao, dressed in his police uniform, hugging and kissing at least two women during office hours. The clips, totaling around 47 seconds, were allegedly recorded in his chamber on separate occasions, with the women dressed in traditional attire such as a churidar and a saree. Officials described the actions as obscene and unbecoming of a public servant, violating Rule 3 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968. The suspension order, issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, states that the widely broadcast videos caused embarrassment to the state administration and necessitated immediate disciplinary action pending a formal inquiry.

Rao, who has been directed not to leave Bengaluru without government permission, will...